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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. march — the month
  3. board — to get on
  4. pop — music
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. board — a committee
  10. land — to come down
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. land — ground
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. march — music
  17. swing — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to drill
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. land — a country

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