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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mark — a grade
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mark — a trace
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rest — a break
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. mate — a partner
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. track — a path
  14. season — in sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. season — of the year
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. mate — to breed
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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