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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stand — to bear
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — the month
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. club — a group
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. club — for golf
  12. row — to paddle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. can — a tin
  15. march — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. march — the month
  23. row — a line
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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