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: bound · coach · wound · squash · net · arm · bulb · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. net — in sport
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — certain
  12. press — to push
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. net — for catching
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. squash — to crush

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