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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. march — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. root — of a plant
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — the month
  15. fall — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. root — of a word
  22. board — to get on
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pass — a permit

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