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: bass · straw · net · coach · bound · wave · stem · bear

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bass — low music
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — certain
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bear — the animal
  13. net — after costs
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — for catching
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bear — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. stem — to come from
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. net — in sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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