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: march · racket · bear · coach · mate · capital · mine · wake

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. capital — a city
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. march — the month
  7. mate — a partner
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. march — music
  14. mine — for digging
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — a friend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mate — to breed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

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