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: snap · coach · club · pass · stick · spell · march · bulb

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to click
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spell — letters
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — a permit
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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