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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — army training
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. sharp — clever
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. tube — the underground

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