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: press · current · bat · bound · pitcher · jam · court · board

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. current — happening now
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — electric
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — of water
  16. board — a committee
  17. press — to push
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bat — the animal
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. press — a publisher
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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