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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — music
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. drill — the tool
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stand — to bear
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. squash — to crush
  18. march — the month
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — to trim
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. drill — army training

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