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: present · coach · jam · rest · bat · sharp · wake · root

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — of a word
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. present — the time now
  11. wake — a trail
  12. present — a gift
  13. rest — a break
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. root — the cause
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bat — the animal

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