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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. board — a committee
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — to get on
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. clip — a video
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. capital — money

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