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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. club — a group
  3. board — to get on
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — crushed
  6. staff — a stick
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — a committee
  9. ground — the earth
  10. march — music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — for golf
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. game — a match
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. club — for dancing
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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