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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. track — a path
  3. content — happy
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mug — a face
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. content — the amount
  9. mug — to rob
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mug — a cup
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. march — the month
  15. track — a song
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. march — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. march — the month
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. track — to keep track
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kid — child
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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