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: jam · fork · coach · bay · ground · bat · race · trunk

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — crushed
  11. race — humankind
  12. race — the arms race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — for baseball

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