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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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. march — the month
  2. mug — a cup
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — in sport
  5. mug — a face
  6. firm — a company
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — government
  10. spring — a coil
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — to get on
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — for catching
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. march — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. spring — of water
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mug — to rob
  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