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 120 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: stand · season · hand · spell · coach · fine · pit · object

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. fine — high quality
  5. season — in sport
  6. object — an aim
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hand — help
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — of the year
  16. object — a thing
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fine — all right
  24. stand — to bear

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