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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mug — to rob
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. field — a subject
  10. prune — to trim
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mug — a cup
  18. deal — to handle
  19. field — farmland
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. coach — a trainer

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