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: board · pitcher · swing · press · season · row · mug · vault

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mug — to rob
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. row — to paddle
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. season — of the year
  9. press — a publisher
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mug — a face
  13. swing — to play on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — in golf
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a line
  19. swing — music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. board — to get on
  22. press — to push
  23. season — in sport
  24. board — a committee

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