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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. court — of law
  3. track — to keep track
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pop — music
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rash — a series
  14. pop — soda
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. court — for sport
  19. track — a song
  20. rash — hasty
  21. track — a path
  22. court — of a king
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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