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 · chest · mine · rush · bound · stick · rock · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bound — certain
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. mug — to rob
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rock — music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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