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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — a line
  3. bore — to drill
  4. last — finally
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a dance
  18. last — to go on
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — to paddle
  24. last — final

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