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 116 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 · coach · stem · press · fine · current · mouse · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. press — a publisher
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — electric
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fine — all right
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — to push
  24. current — happening now

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