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: mug · march · bulb · field · pitcher · mate · board · object

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. object — an aim
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — a thing
  10. mate — to breed
  11. field — for sport
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mug — a face
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — music
  21. field — a subject
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitcher — a jug

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