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: tear · march · key · coach · season · ruler · present · bulb

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tear — to rip
  6. march — the month
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — from crying
  9. season — of the year
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — the most important part
  14. present — a gift
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — there
  19. season — in sport
  20. key — in music
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. march — music

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