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 · scale · rest · branch · march · nail · bear · press

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. march — the month
  3. rest — what's left
  4. scale — in music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. branch — a division
  19. rest — a break
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — to push
  22. march — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a bank

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