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: chest · hide · nail · staff · kick · bat · coach · wax

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — employees
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. staff — employees
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — a box
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wax — to grow
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chest — of your body

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