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: press · row · season · fork · club · firm · face · pitcher

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a line
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. row — to paddle
  8. club — for golf
  9. press — to push
  10. club — for dancing
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — to confront
  13. press — a publisher
  14. face — part of the head
  15. fork — in a road
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. season — in sport
  19. club — a group
  20. press — newspapers
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. firm — steady
  24. fork — to eat with

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