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: press · coach · fan · bark · trunk · hand · fork · ball

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — to push
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — in a road
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hand — help
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hand — in cards
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — a publisher
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bark — to shout
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. trunk — of a tree

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