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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — hurry
  3. court — for sport
  4. row — a line
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. court — of a king
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. charge — in control
  18. court — of law
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — to paddle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — letters
  24. calf — a young animal

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