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 116 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: wave · mine · object · coach · pit · pitcher · straw · swing

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. swing — in golf
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — a thing
  21. swing — music
  22. object — an aim
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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