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 116 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tear — to rip
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — to crush
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. tear — from crying
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rock — music
  24. plane — a tool

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