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: saw · row · pass · chest · coach · craft · club · can

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a line
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chest — a box
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — to paddle
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — boats
  15. club — a group
  16. can — to be able to
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. club — for golf

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