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: coach · last · patient · trunk · pitcher · rule · pit · pound

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — government
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pit — a hole
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. last — to go on
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — in a race
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — final
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rule — a law
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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