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: patient · club · board · staff · deal · march

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. club — for dancing
  5. march — music
  6. staff — a stick
  7. board — to get on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. staff — employees
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. club — for golf
  15. deal — to handle
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. club — a group
  18. 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