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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. land — to come down
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — ground
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wound — an injury

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