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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. press — newspapers
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — clever
  21. press — to push
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — a publisher

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