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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. face — part of the head
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. roll — a list
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. cap — a hat
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — of ice
  11. drill — army training
  12. board — to get on
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — to keep track
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. track — a song
  18. face — to point toward
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. track — a path
  24. fork — in a road

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