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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. board — to get on
  5. stock — shares
  6. ball — a dance
  7. march — the month
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. file — a tool
  13. march — the month
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. swing — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — music
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — a break
  23. file — a document
  24. board — a committee

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