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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. object — an aim
  3. spring — of water
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spring — a coil
  12. dip — to sink
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. object — to protest
  17. spring — the season
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. tear — to rip
  22. board — to get on
  23. object — a thing
  24. march — the month

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