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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ground — a position
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. track — a song
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. file — a document
  10. ground — the earth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. march — the month
  13. board — a committee
  14. track — a path
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tube — a container
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. season — to add flavour

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