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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. band — a ring
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. court — of a king
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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