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 116 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 will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. march — the month
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — government
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. branch — a division
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. staff — employees
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. rule — a law
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. march — music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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