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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pop — soda
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. season — of the year
  9. wound — an injury
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fine — high quality
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. season — in sport
  18. pop — music
  19. fine — all right
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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