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: net · saw · mug · march · row · stem · coach · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. net — after costs
  7. row — to paddle
  8. march — music
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — a face
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. stem — to come from
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — the tool
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. net — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. march — the month
  24. stem — a stem cell

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