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: coach · march · content · toast · mouse · chest

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. march — the month
  4. chest — of your body
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — happy
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. toast — bread
  14. march — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chest — a box
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal

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