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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. saw — the tool
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. swing — music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — the month
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. swing — in golf
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. march — the month
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. drill — a practice
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. drill — army training
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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