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: cap · last · press · mouse · prune · chair · coach · cell

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. prune — to trim
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cap — a lid
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — to go on
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. cap — of ice
  15. press — newspapers
  16. last — finally
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — a phone
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. press — to push
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. press — a publisher
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chair — a professorship

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