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: object · coach · scale · clip · spring · mug · wound · present

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — of water
  5. clip — a video
  6. scale — size or range
  7. clip — to cut
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. present — a gift
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. spring — the season
  15. mug — a face
  16. present — there
  17. present — the time now
  18. wound — an injury
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mug — to rob
  23. spring — a coil
  24. object — an aim

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