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: tube · field · ball · straw · coach · calf · drill · roll

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — army training
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — the underground
  8. drill — a practice
  9. field — for sport
  10. roll — a list
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ball — a dance
  15. field — farmland
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — a container
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. drill — the tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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