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 120 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: chip · season · coach · march · rule · degree · wave · chair

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. degree — temperature
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — in sport
  10. rule — government
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. degree — an amount
  14. season — of the year
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rule — a law
  19. chair — a leader
  20. march — music
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. coach — a trainer

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