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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rash — a series
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — bread
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. hand — help
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stem — to come from

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