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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mark — a grade
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. march — music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. march — the month
  10. season — of the year
  11. last — finally
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. last — final
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. last — to go on
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. safe — a strongbox

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