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: coach · pitcher · band · drill · safe · bark · capital · stand

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — a practice
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — to shout
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — to bear
  23. band — a music group
  24. pitcher — a jug

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