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: spell · court · bass · club · press · mug · squash · stick

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. press — to push
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bass — low music
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. spell — letters
  11. club — for golf
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. spell — a short time
  14. press — newspapers
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — of a king
  19. press — a publisher
  20. court — of law
  21. spell — magic
  22. squash — the sport
  23. court — for sport
  24. bass — the fish

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