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: press · craft · season · object · ball · pop · rock · squash

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. press — newspapers
  9. craft — a skill
  10. object — an aim
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. rock — music
  14. object — a thing
  15. craft — boats
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. object — to protest
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rock — a stone
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. ball — a great time

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