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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — in cards
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. root — of a word
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. suit — clothes
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. root — of a plant
  21. squash — the sport
  22. prune — to trim
  23. march — the month
  24. root — the cause

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