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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. board — to get on
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — a cup
  10. march — the month
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — for digging
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — to rob

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