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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — a container
  3. march — the month
  4. degree — an amount
  5. bound — obliged
  6. degree — temperature
  7. board — a committee
  8. pass — a permit
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bound — certain
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. spell — letters
  24. tube — in a tire

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