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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bass — low music
  12. bat — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. safe — out of danger

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