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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pop — to visit
  4. board — to get on
  5. pop — soda
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. drill — army training
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — final
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — magic
  15. current — of water
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — a short time
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — the tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pop — music

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