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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. march — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. court — of law
  10. saw — the tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. race — a contest
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — a line
  20. court — of a king
  21. march — the month
  22. row — to paddle
  23. march — the month
  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