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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bore — to tire
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stock — shares
  10. rush — hurry
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. stock — goods

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