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: straw · coach · kick · arm · fine · bowl · file · deal

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — to handle
  12. file — a line of people
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — all right

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