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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bear — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. roll — a cake
  11. kid — child
  12. date — the fruit
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. toast — bread
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — the animal
  23. vault — a safe
  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