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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — a thing
  3. present — there
  4. object — to protest
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rush — hurry
  7. content — happy
  8. kid — to tease
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. object — an aim
  12. kid — child
  13. content — the amount
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — the time now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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