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: cell · stick · coach · bay · clip · drill · court · lie

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cell — a phone
  3. drill — a practice
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. clip — a video
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — to cut
  14. drill — army training
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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