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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. fall — the season
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bank — of a river
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — certain
  15. present — there
  16. bound — obliged
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — for money
  22. present — the time now
  23. bank — for money
  24. tube — in a tire

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