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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. net — in sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hand — in cards
  8. last — final
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. hand — help
  11. cue — for pool
  12. suit — to fit
  13. net — for catching
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — finally
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cue — a hint
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — to go on
  24. net — after costs

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