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: roll · tube · press · coach · season · bore · rock · date

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. season — of the year
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — to push
  11. tube — a container
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — in sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. date — the fruit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tube — the underground
  24. roll — on a roll

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