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: season · bank · mine · ruler · game · coach · jam · net

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. season — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. net — in sport
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — for digging
  14. game — a match
  15. bank — for money
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. season — of the year
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bank — of a river
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. net — for catching
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. ruler — for measuring

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