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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bat — the animal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tube — a container
  18. bat — in an idiom

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