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: leaves · drill · cold · bass · coach · season · stand · game

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. cold — an illness
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. bass — the fish
  9. season — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — low music
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. game — a match
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. drill — army training
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. stand — to bear
  22. drill — a practice
  23. cold — not warm
  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