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 · face · game · stock · safe · coach · band · bowl

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stock — shares
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a ring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to confront
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. face — part of the head
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bowl — a dish

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