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 · dip · coach · bulb · net · face · band · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. march — the month
  3. face — part of the head
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. net — after costs
  6. march — the month
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. net — for catching
  9. march — music
  10. net — in sport
  11. face — to point toward
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. face — to confront
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a music group
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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