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

Word bank: rash · swing · drill · pass · board · bark · tube · scale

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. tube — a container
  8. drill — army training
  9. scale — size or range
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bark — to shout
  12. swing — music
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rash — a series
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. scale — in music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. drill — a practice
  24. drill — the tool

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