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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — wild animals
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. kid — to tease
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stand — to bear
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. game — a match
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. dip — to sink
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — a division
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. kid — child
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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