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 · bear · saw · stem · scale · fan · safe · chest

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. chest — a box
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stem — to come from
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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