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 · firm · track · last · leaves · march · bear · wind

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — steady
  4. last — to go on
  5. wind — moving air
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. track — to keep track
  8. last — finally
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. last — final
  12. march — the month
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. march — the month
  16. wind — moving air
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. track — a song
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bear — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. track — a path

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