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

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. mug — to rob
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — the fish
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. vault — a safe
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — a cup
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. cold — not warm
  18. cold — an illness
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — to come down
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — ground
  24. mug — a face

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