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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. last — final
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. squash — the sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cap — a hat
  16. last — finally
  17. present — there
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cap — a lid
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. last — to go on
  24. cap — of ice

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