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: bat · nail · game · patient · temple · coach · chair · fan

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bat — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. game — a match
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. game — wild animals
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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