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: coach · sharp · staff · chip · rest · bark · row · fan

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. staff — a stick
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chip — for betting
  8. staff — employees
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a line
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. staff — employees
  17. sharp — clever
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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