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 120 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: mate · bay · swing · last · arm · hide · coach · spring

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. last — final
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — to breed
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — to go on
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. last — finally
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spring — of water
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. swing — music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spring — the season
  24. arm — a part of something

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