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: spell · coach · lie · march · pitch · bound · tube · row

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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. bound — certain
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — completely
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. row — a line
  16. lie — to recline
  17. march — music
  18. bound — obliged
  19. spell — magic
  20. tube — the underground
  21. march — the month
  22. spell — letters
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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