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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. land — a country
  4. mate — a friend
  5. land — to come down
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bat — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — a container
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. land — ground
  24. bat — for baseball

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