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: rule · rush · arm · coach · spell · march · mark · wax

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. rule — a law
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mark — a grade
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — music
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rule — government
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. arm — a part of something

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