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: swing · coach · present · cap · bat · pit · toast · vault

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. present — the time now
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. present — a gift
  8. pit — a hole
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bat — the animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cap — a lid
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. cap — of ice
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — there
  24. vault — a safe

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