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: coach · chest · bound · row · current · wax · pitcher · snap

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bound — tied together
  9. current — of water
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bound — certain
  12. current — electric
  13. chest — of your body
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. row — a line
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — happening now
  24. snap — to click

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