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: coach · chair · press · face · chip · plane · hand · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. face — to confront
  3. press — newspapers
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chair — a leader
  9. hand — in cards
  10. press — to push
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. face — part of the head
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — a tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hand — help
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. face — to point toward

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