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: squash · press · bank · pitcher · last · land · pitch · trunk

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. squash — the sport
  3. last — final
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. land — to come down
  7. pitch — completely
  8. press — newspapers
  9. squash — to crush
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. land — a country
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. land — ground
  19. last — finally
  20. last — to go on
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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