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 · bowl · spell · file · march · vault · pound · mug

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a line of people
  7. march — the month
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a document
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — letters
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. march — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. file — a tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. mug — a face
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pound — to hit hard

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