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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. scale — in music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cell — a phone
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cell — in biology
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. chest — a box

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