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: rush · coach · lie · game · bound · fork · spell · stand

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. game — a match
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bound — certain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fork — in a road

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