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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bank — of a river
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. squash — the sport
  10. chest — a box
  11. squash — to crush
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chest — of your body
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — in music
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bank — for money

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