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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. last — finally
  3. cap — a lid
  4. kid — child
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. field — farmland
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. field — a subject
  12. last — final
  13. pass — a permit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. last — to go on
  16. cap — a hat
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. prune — to trim

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