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: ball · rash · press · chest · coach · staff · bore · lash

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. rash — a series
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — newspapers
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. rash — hasty
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chest — a box
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — to lash out

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