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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — music
  4. ground — a position
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — a hole
  7. ground — the earth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. mate — a friend
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — in a race
  14. march — the month
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mate — a partner
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ground — crushed
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a trace

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