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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rule — a law
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. face — part of the head
  8. spell — magic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. spell — letters
  11. vault — a safe
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — a cup
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. face — to confront
  19. can — a tin
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. can — to be able to
  22. rule — government
  23. spell — a short time
  24. racket — for tennis

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