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: bound · staff · face · date · coach · wake · mug · fan

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. face — to point toward
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mug — a cup
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bound — certain
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. face — to confront
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — part of the head
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a face
  21. staff — employees
  22. wake — a trail
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fan — a supporter

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