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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — the most important part
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. key — in music
  6. present — a gift
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — a path
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a song
  13. key — for a lock
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — to cut
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bat — the animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. roll — a list
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. clip — a video

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