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: mark · pitcher · stick · coach · bat · bound · rest · tear

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bound — certain
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — a grade
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tear — to rip
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a trace

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