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 · bat · leaves · face · rule · safe · coach · prune

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. face — part of the head
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — the tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rule — government
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bat — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. prune — to trim
  19. face — to confront
  20. rule — a law
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — a practice
  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