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: band · trunk · mine · cue · deal · net · last · coach

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. last — final
  6. net — in sport
  7. mine — for digging
  8. deal — to handle
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. net — after costs
  12. cue — for pool
  13. last — to go on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a music group
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. last — finally
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. deal — a big deal

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