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 · land · stick · last · coach · mate · charge · cabinet

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. charge — a price
  4. squash — the sport
  5. last — to go on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — a partner
  9. last — final
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. land — to come down
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. charge — in control
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. mate — to breed
  20. charge — electricity
  21. last — finally
  22. squash — to crush
  23. land — a country
  24. mate — a friend

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