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: rash · bore · pitcher · stick · snap · coach · bay · bulb

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. snap — to click
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bore — to drill
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rash — a series
  11. bore — to tire
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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