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 112 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — help
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mug — to rob
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — in golf
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. game — wild animals
  14. mug — a cup
  15. branch — a division
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — a face
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. hand — in cards
  23. game — a match
  24. coach — a trainer

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