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: face · coach · band · straw · court · safe · pound · club

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. band — a music group
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. club — for golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to point toward
  11. court — of a king
  12. pound — a weight
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. club — for dancing
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. band — a ring
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. club — a group
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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