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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. board — to get on
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. sharp — clever
  7. branch — a division
  8. march — the month
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — a committee
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. scale — size or range
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — in music
  18. board — a flat piece

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