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: track · coach · field · bound · can · cap · racket · straw

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bound — tied together
  5. field — for sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. track — to keep track
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — a subject
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bound — obliged
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cap — of ice
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. can — a tin
  21. track — a song
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — a path
  24. field — farmland

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