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 · can · craft · kick · game · court · coach · lean

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lean — to bend
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. court — for sport
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kick — in football
  10. court — of a king
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — of law
  15. lean — thin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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