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: safe · hand · present · squash · net · coach · press · ground

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — the time now
  6. ground — a position
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. press — newspapers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — after costs
  17. hand — help
  18. ground — crushed
  19. press — to push
  20. ground — the earth
  21. squash — to crush
  22. present — there
  23. net — in sport
  24. present — a gift

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