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 120 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: coach · spell · arm · bass · land · scale · press · rash

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. land — a country
  3. rash — a series
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — size or range
  6. press — a publisher
  7. spell — magic
  8. press — newspapers
  9. land — to come down
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. spell — a short time
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — hasty
  18. scale — in music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bass — the fish
  22. spell — letters
  23. land — ground
  24. bass — low music

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