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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. season — of the year
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. track — to keep track
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. board — a committee
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ball — a dance
  12. track — a song
  13. land — to come down
  14. ball — a great time
  15. track — a path
  16. season — in sport
  17. march — the month
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — ground
  20. can — to be able to
  21. land — a country
  22. can — a tin
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. board — to get on

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