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: hand · pound · chair · safe · trunk · field · coach · key

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. field — a subject
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. field — for sport
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. hand — help
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pound — a weight
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. hand — in cards
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. field — farmland

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