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: straw · court · coach · jam · stem · sharp · hide · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. court — of law
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. court — of a king
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. sharp — exactly

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