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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. field — a subject
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. field — farmland
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. field — for sport
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. dip — to sink
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hide — to keep secret

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