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: bound · chair · last · coach · track · pop · straw · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. track — to keep track
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pop — music
  9. track — a song
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pop — to visit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. track — a path
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. last — final
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. bound — obliged
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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