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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pop — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pop — soda

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