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 116 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: scale · cold · coach · march · craft · pitcher · season · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. scale — size or range
  3. cold — not warm
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — a path
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. track — to keep track
  16. craft — boats
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — in music
  20. season — of the year
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cold — an illness
  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