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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — in music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. scale — size or range
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — to get on
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — the cause
  19. rash — a series
  20. root — of a word
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. mine — for digging
  24. scale — for weighing

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