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 116 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: racket · bat · sharp · chair · coach · cue · key · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cue — a hint
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. key — for a lock
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — in music
  22. cue — for pool
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cue — a signal

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