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: coach · ball · rest · bear · bark · mark · straw · pitch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bark — to shout
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ball — a great time
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rest — a break
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mark — a trace

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