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: bat · prune · tube · staff · hand · board · press · charge

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — a stick
  7. charge — in control
  8. press — to push
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. hand — help
  14. press — a publisher
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. board — to get on
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — a container
  20. press — newspapers
  21. board — a committee
  22. bat — the animal
  23. charge — electricity
  24. prune — the fruit

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