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 · bat · mate · staff · bound · mine · coach · kick

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bound — obliged
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. staff — a stick
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. bound — tied together
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — in music
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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