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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bulb — for light
  5. clip — for paper
  6. rock — music
  7. march — the month
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. charge — a price
  12. board — a committee
  13. march — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rock — a stone
  17. clip — a video
  18. march — the month
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wake — a trail
  23. charge — in control
  24. board — to get on

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