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: mate · tear · degree · pit · fan · drill · coach · bank

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. degree — from a university
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — army training
  12. tear — from crying
  13. degree — temperature
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mate — a friend
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. tear — to rip
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bank — for money

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