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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bat — the animal
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — in a race
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. prune — to trim
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fine — all right
  23. prune — to trim
  24. stand — to bear

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