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 120 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 · bass · cabinet · tube · mug · stick · lie · track

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a cup
  9. track — a song
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — to keep track
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. track — a path
  20. mug — to rob
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. cabinet — ministers

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