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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. present — a gift
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. march — music
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. present — the time now
  12. wound — an injury
  13. board — a committee
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. present — there
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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