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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. capital — money
  5. face — to confront
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — music
  10. face — part of the head
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — soda
  13. swing — in golf
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pop — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rush — hurry
  23. pop — to visit
  24. drill — the tool

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