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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. face — to confront
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fork — in a road
  12. club — for golf
  13. march — the month
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. face — part of the head
  23. march — music
  24. face — to point toward

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