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: bat · bowl · chair · foot · firm · cue · swing · press

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. firm — steady
  3. cue — a hint
  4. swing — to play on
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — to push
  7. firm — a company
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chair — a leader
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. swing — music
  19. bat — the animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cue — for pool
  24. foot — the bottom

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