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 120 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: shower · stick · bound · bat · field · safe · suit · coach

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bound — certain
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bat — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. field — farmland
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bound — tied together
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — to wash

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