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

Word bank: board · last · wake · straw · staff · stand · coach · cold

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. last — finally
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. staff — employees
  9. board — a committee
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cold — an illness
  12. last — final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  24. last — to go on

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