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: rock · chest · cell · board · press · fall · racket · pop

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. board — a committee
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — a phone
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — the season
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. pop — soda
  15. board — to get on
  16. pop — to visit
  17. chest — of your body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pop — music
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. press — a publisher

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