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: key · kid · row · bear · pit · coach · swing · trunk

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — child
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bear — the animal
  14. swing — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pit — in a race
  18. kid — to tease
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bear — the animal
  21. swing — in golf
  22. key — for a lock
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. key — the most important part

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