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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. bank — of a river
  5. season — of the year
  6. march — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. roll — a cake
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — the month
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. season — in sport

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