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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · lie · bear · march · date · pass

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. date — the fruit
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. march — music
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with

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