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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cold — not warm
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. object — a thing
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pass — a permit
  16. object — to protest
  17. press — to push
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. object — an aim
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pass — to succeed

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