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: mark · file · prune · club · band · race · can · coach

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. prune — to trim
  5. club — for golf
  6. band — a ring
  7. can — to be able to
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. prune — to trim
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mark — a grade
  12. band — a music group
  13. race — a contest
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. club — a group
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. file — a document
  24. can — a tin

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