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: pitcher · fan · cabinet · clip · face · suit · rest · coach

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. clip — a video
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. face — to confront
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. suit — clothes
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. suit — in cards
  12. face — part of the head
  13. clip — to cut
  14. suit — to fit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. face — to point toward
  17. clip — for paper
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — a break

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