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: pound · present · key · cell · coach · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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. cell — a phone
  4. present — there
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — the time now
  7. cell — in biology
  8. march — music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. present — a gift
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — a weight

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