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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mate — to breed
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. board — a committee
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. can — a tin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mate — a partner
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — a subject
  15. mate — a friend
  16. field — farmland
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — to get on
  22. field — for sport
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mark — a trace

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