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: swing · pound · saw · firm · face · lean · mouse · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. firm — a company
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. face — to point toward
  5. firm — decided
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. saw — the tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — steady
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. swing — in golf
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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