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 120 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: rock · cue · bat · press · trunk · bore · coach · chest

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. press — a publisher
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. chest — a box
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — music

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