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's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — to wash
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — a container
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — boats
  21. lean — to bend
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. shower — rain

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