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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fine — all right
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fine — high quality
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cold — not warm
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. march — the month
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cue — for pool
  24. fine — a penalty

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