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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to tire
  11. press — newspapers
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. press — to push
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. press — a publisher
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bore — gave birth

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