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: coach · kid · staff · land · dip · mug · board · capital

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. land — a country
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. board — a committee
  7. mug — a face
  8. capital — a city
  9. mug — a cup
  10. staff — employees
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. staff — a stick
  14. kid — to tease
  15. land — to come down
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — ground
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. kid — child
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. dip — to sink

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