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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · field · mouse · board · row · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. 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. date — on the calendar
  2. board — a committee
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. field — farmland
  5. toast — bread
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. field — for sport
  10. row — a line
  11. field — a subject
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. 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