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 · bear · cue · saw · march · band · bound · clip

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. march — the month
  3. bear — the animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cue — a hint
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. clip — a video
  10. march — the month
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — the tool
  15. clip — to cut
  16. bound — certain
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. march — music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. band — a ring

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