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 120 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: season · deal · coach · track · tube · race · saw · bear

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. season — in sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. deal — to handle
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. race — the arms race
  14. track — a path
  15. saw — the tool
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. saw — the tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. track — a song
  24. tube — a container

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