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 120 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: bay · spring · saw · bank · drill · present · wake · coach

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bank — for money
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bank — of a river
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. drill — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. spring — a coil
  17. present — there
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. drill — army training
  20. spring — of water
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bank — for money

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