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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a path
  3. face — to confront
  4. stock — shares
  5. track — to keep track
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. press — newspapers
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — goods
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — part of the head
  12. spring — a coil
  13. face — to point toward
  14. track — a song
  15. spring — the season
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — a group
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. press — to push
  24. press — a publisher

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