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 · bore · game · cabinet · cue · wake · hand · bass

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bass — low music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cue — a hint
  13. hand — in cards
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. game — a match
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bass — the fish
  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