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: coach · chest · drill · suit · patient · root · kid · current

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. root — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. drill — a practice
  5. chest — of your body
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kid — to tease
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chest — of your body
  13. current — of water
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chest — a box
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. kid — child
  21. suit — to fit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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