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: bay · coach · press · field · bark · saw · wave · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — farmland
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. press — to push
  6. field — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. field — a subject
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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