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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. march — the month
  4. date — the fruit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bound — certain
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — tied together
  11. race — a contest
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bulb — for light
  18. race — humankind
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. march — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. race — the arms race

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