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: present · key · rash · coach · cell · mouse · pass · straw

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. key — for a lock
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — there
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. present — the time now
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — a permit
  23. rash — a series
  24. coach — a trainer

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