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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — to get on
  3. ground — a position
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. track — a song
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ground — crushed
  8. march — music
  9. track — a path
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stock — shares
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — goods
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rest — a break
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — what's left
  24. track — to keep track

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