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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. present — there
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. scale — in music

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