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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — for sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. stock — shares
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. march — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stock — goods
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. march — the month
  22. court — of law
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. court — of a king

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