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: mine · mate · root · saw · cold · coach · last · leaves

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. last — finally
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. root — the cause
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cold — an illness
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. mine — for digging
  23. last — final
  24. mate — to breed

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