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: last · pitcher · stem · coach · mine · band · hide · bat

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. last — to go on
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. last — final
  20. band — a music group
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — to keep secret

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