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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — of the year
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cold — an illness
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mark — a grade
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. season — in sport
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cold — not warm
  24. sharp — clever

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