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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. march — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. land — to come down
  11. club — for dancing
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — a country
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. club — for golf
  17. shower — to wash
  18. land — ground
  19. club — a group
  20. march — the month
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. shower — rain
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. march — the month

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