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 · racket · cue · jam · degree · press · pit · track

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. track — to keep track
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — to push
  6. degree — temperature
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cue — a hint
  12. degree — an amount
  13. press — a publisher
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. press — newspapers
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — a path

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