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: coach · season · staff · row · mate · last · track · safe

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. track — a path
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — a stick
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — of the year
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a friend
  19. last — final
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — to breed
  23. track — to keep track
  24. last — to go on

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