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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. capital — money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. spring — of water
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — a coil
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — crushed
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — the earth

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