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: dip · wake · coach · lie · fan · season · roll · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a list
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cell — in biology
  24. roll — on a roll

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