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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. land — ground
  3. march — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. branch — a division
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — a permit
  8. land — a country
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. land — to come down
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kick — in football
  13. march — the month
  14. file — a line of people
  15. march — the month
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. board — a committee
  19. file — a tool
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. file — a document
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. pass — to spend time

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