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: board · leaves · hide · march · hand · tube · racket · bat

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. hand — help
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. march — music
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. march — the month
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. hide — to keep secret

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