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: chest · key · pitcher · pass · coach · wound · squash · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. chest — a box
  18. key — in music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wound — an injury

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