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: chest · file · coach · bear · degree · season · press · staff

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. file — a line of people
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — to push
  7. staff — employees
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chest — of your body
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — an amount
  16. file — a document
  17. season — in sport
  18. degree — from a university
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a tool
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bear — the animal
  24. press — a publisher

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