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 · leaves · swing · plane · band · stand · bowl · capital

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. band — a music group
  3. march — music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. capital — money
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. band — a ring
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stand — to bear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. swing — to play on
  24. stand — for spectators

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