ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · date · band · staff · pit · tube · press · coach

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — in a race
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mark — a trace
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. press — to push
  16. staff — employees
  17. band — a ring
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pit — a hole
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. tube — a container
  24. band — a music group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com