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: key · file · prune · rash · mark · march · coach · foot

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. rash — a series
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. march — the month
  6. key — for a lock
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. march — the month
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. key — in music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mark — a trace
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. file — a tool
  20. march — music
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mark — a grade

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