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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. march — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. field — farmland
  6. pop — soda
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. club — a group
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — for sport
  17. rash — a series
  18. club — for dancing
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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