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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. swing — in golf
  3. branch — a division
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mate — to breed
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a partner
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mate — a friend

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