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: staff · saw · ground · bass · coach · chip · net · spring

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. ground — crushed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ground — a position
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spring — of water
  10. net — for catching
  11. staff — employees
  12. net — after costs
  13. spring — a coil
  14. staff — employees
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — in sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — low music
  20. spring — the season
  21. chip — for betting
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ground — the earth
  24. chip — to eat

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