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 120 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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. band — a rubber band
  4. bore — to tire
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. firm — decided
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. firm — steady
  12. object — a thing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. craft — a skill
  15. firm — a company
  16. object — an aim
  17. craft — boats
  18. object — to protest
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bat — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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