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: press · bowl · leaves · last · vault · bass · fan · field

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. last — finally
  4. press — to push
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bass — low music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. last — to go on
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bass — the fish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. last — final
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — farmland
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. press — a publisher
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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