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

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. march — the month
  4. tube — the underground
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — a container
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — final
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. march — music
  18. last — to go on

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