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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. last — to go on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — in music
  10. last — finally
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ground — the earth
  15. last — final
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. ground — crushed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. prune — the fruit

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