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 116 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 · coach · bat · wave · ball · prune · fine · dip

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. prune — to trim
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — the month
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. fine — all right
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. march — music
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bat — in an idiom

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