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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mark — a trace
  4. staff — employees
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — to visit
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mark — a grade
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — rain
  12. pop — music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — of the year
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pop — soda
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. foot — a measure
  24. coach — a trainer

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