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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spring — a coil
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — certain
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spring — of water
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. swing — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. swing — in golf
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. spring — the season

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