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: drill · mate · hide · toast · clip · coach · date · board

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. date — the fruit
  7. board — a committee
  8. clip — a video
  9. board — to get on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. toast — bread
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. mate — to breed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. clip — to cut
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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