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: squash · coach · tear · saw · bay · band · bound · staff

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. staff — a stick
  4. band — a music group
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bound — certain
  7. tear — from crying
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. tear — to rip
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — employees
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — the sport
  24. band — a ring

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