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: coach · date · mine · march · bank · stock · pound · bore

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bank — for money
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — the month
  9. stock — goods
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — to tire
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stock — shares
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — a weight
  21. march — music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. date — on the calendar

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