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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — certain
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mate — a friend
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a dance
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — tied together
  24. nail — for a hammer

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