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: chest · wake · cell · coach · leaves · mark · racket · sharp

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chest — a box
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chest — of your body
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wake — a trail
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. cell — in biology
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cell — a phone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — of your body

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