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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to tire
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — to drill
  9. content — the amount
  10. track — a path
  11. board — to get on
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. track — a song
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. last — to go on
  18. bat — the animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. content — happy
  24. last — finally

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