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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. rock — a stone
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rock — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. content — the amount
  17. drill — army training
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. staff — employees
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. content — happy
  24. face — to confront

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