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: fan · racket · drill · prune · press · date · wound · bass

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — a publisher
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. press — newspapers
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bass — low music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — to push

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