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: shower · tube · mouse · straw · coach · bear · track · object

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. object — an aim
  3. track — a path
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bear — the animal
  10. track — a song
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. tube — the underground
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. bear — the animal

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