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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. cue — a signal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — for sport
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. march — the month
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a partner
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cue — for pool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. file — a tool
  22. march — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a hint

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