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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. march — music
  3. cue — a signal
  4. march — the month
  5. squash — the sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. spell — a short time
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cue — for pool
  11. object — to protest
  12. net — for catching
  13. object — a thing
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. object — an aim
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spell — magic
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — in sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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