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 116 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: pitcher · court · press · lean · ball · chair · tube · fan

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — for sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. court — of law
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — a supporter

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