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 120 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 · patient · mark · prune · nail · mine · track · club

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. club — for golf
  3. track — to keep track
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mine — for digging
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. club — for dancing
  20. prune — to trim
  21. club — a group
  22. track — a song
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — on a finger

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