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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — tied together
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cell — in biology
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. bound — obliged
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. staff — a stick
  12. club — a group
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bound — certain
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. coach — a trainer

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