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 124 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mate — a friend
  7. rock — a stone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — an injury
  12. band — a music group
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — music
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a ring
  20. ground — a position
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bear — to put up with

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