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: chip · mug · object · perch · fall · roll · coach · bat

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — an aim
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chip — for betting
  9. perch — the fish
  10. roll — a list
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. object — to protest
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. chip — to eat
  19. mug — a face
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fall — the season
  22. bat — the animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. object — a thing

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