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: nail · coach · pit · ball · current · march · game · shower

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. game — a match
  11. march — music
  12. shower — to wash
  13. current — electric
  14. march — the month
  15. game — wild animals
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — rain
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. march — the month

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