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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stem — to come from
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ball — a dance
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. net — in sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — the season
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rock — music
  15. net — for catching
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. net — after costs
  18. spring — of water
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rock — a stone
  24. coach — a trainer

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