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 · cue · chair · stick · current · fine · coach · prune

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. march — music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fine — all right
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — of water
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. current — happening now
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a leader
  23. current — electric
  24. cue — a hint

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