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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. club — a group
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. band — a music group
  13. craft — boats
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — the amount
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bass — the fish
  21. content — happy
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bass — low music

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