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: prune · chair · pop · craft · band · press · coach · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — a publisher
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. prune — to trim
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. band — a ring
  10. chair — a leader
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — a skill
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. press — to push
  19. craft — boats
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. press — newspapers

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