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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: craft · mouse · spring · staff · coach · patient

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. craft — boats
  10. spring — of water
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — a coil

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