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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. key — in music
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. squash — the sport
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. capital — a city
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. kid — child

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