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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wind — moving air
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. hand — help
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. lie — to recline
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. scale — in music
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wind — moving air

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