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: coach · straw · track · bank · stand · face · game · rush

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — of a river
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rush — hurry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. face — to point toward
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bank — for money
  12. face — part of the head
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bank — for money
  15. track — a path
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. game — wild animals
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. face — to confront
  22. game — a match
  23. track — a song
  24. stand — to bear

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