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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. game — wild animals
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. content — happy
  11. ball — a great time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. content — the amount
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — to play on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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