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 116 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 · mouse · ball · clip · racket · mark · race · fall

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — a contest
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ball — a dance
  10. clip — a video
  11. fall — the season
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. race — humankind
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ball — a great time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fall — to drop
  23. clip — for paper
  24. mouse — the animal

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