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: safe · chair · field · roll · coach · toast · date · band

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. date — the fruit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. field — for sport
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. roll — a cake
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — a leader
  15. band — a ring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. toast — bread
  22. roll — a list
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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