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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. swing — music
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to drill
  16. vault — a safe
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. branch — a division
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. season — in sport

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