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 120 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: wave · spring · key · file · fine · kick · coach · hide

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. file — a tool
  6. file — a line of people
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. kick — in football
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. file — a document
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — a coil
  20. key — in music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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