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 · safe · wake · snap · board · swing · stick · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wake — a trail
  6. march — music
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. swing — music
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to click
  19. board — to get on
  20. march — the month
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — a committee
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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