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 · prune · chest · calf · drill · content · current · key

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. drill — army training
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — electric
  6. content — the amount
  7. chest — of your body
  8. drill — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. prune — to trim
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. key — for a lock
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. drill — a practice
  24. key — in music

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