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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bank — of a river
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — in control
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. degree — temperature
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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