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 120 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: coach · foot · trunk · bowl · press · face · cap · chair

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cap — a lid
  5. face — to confront
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cap — a hat
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — a measure
  12. press — to push
  13. cap — of ice
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. face — part of the head
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. press — newspapers
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. chair — a leader

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