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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. chair — a leader
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. mark — a trace
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — a grade
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. season — to add flavour

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