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: bay · file · fine · bowl · craft · cap · coach · kick

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cap — a hat
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. craft — boats
  14. fine — high quality
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. cap — a lid
  18. kick — in football
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fine — all right
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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