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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. march — the month
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — music
  8. last — final
  9. bank — for money
  10. board — to get on
  11. squash — to crush
  12. kick — in football
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bank — of a river
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ball — a dance
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. board — a committee
  24. bank — for money

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