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: chip · tube · press · coach · root · row · bass · nail

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. root — the cause
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. root — of a word
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. press — to push
  11. row — a line
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. tube — a container
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. coach — a trainer

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