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: bulb · coach · mate · leaves · face · bark · band · season

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mate — to breed
  6. band — a ring
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — to point toward
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bark — to shout
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mate — a partner
  24. leaves — to go away

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