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 · press · pop · stock · board · arm · firm · foot

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. firm — decided
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. stock — shares
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — a company
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pop — soda
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. foot — a measure
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. firm — steady
  23. coach — a trainer
  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