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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. present — the time now
  3. clip — for paper
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — music
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — in music
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. present — a gift
  13. cue — a hint
  14. clip — to cut
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. cue — for pool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cue — a signal
  21. march — the month
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. clip — a video

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