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: mug · fall · present · mate · straw · perch · bass · coach

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. present — the time now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. present — there
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mug — to rob
  11. present — a gift
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. perch — the fish
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. mug — a face
  24. mate — a friend

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