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: racket · swing · land · pass · last · bat · fine · coach

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. land — to come down
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. last — final
  11. swing — in golf
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. swing — to play on
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — ground
  17. bat — the animal
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — high quality
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. land — a country
  22. last — to go on
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. swing — music

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