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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. face — to point toward
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — size or range
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. face — to confront
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. face — part of the head
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. racket — for tennis
  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