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: club · bowl · coach · march · roll · kick · deal · cell

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. cell — in biology
  6. march — the month
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. cell — a phone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. roll — a list

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