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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cue — a hint
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cue — a signal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — there
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. race — a contest
  15. march — the month
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — to bear
  20. race — humankind
  21. present — a gift
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. present — the time now

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