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: clip · coach · press · lash · bowl · jam · net · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. net — after costs
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fine — all right
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. press — to push

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