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: march · shower · key · board · safe · jam · mate · bat

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mate — a friend
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. key — in music
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. march — the month
  8. key — for a lock
  9. shower — rain
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a partner
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. march — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — the animal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. mate — to breed
  22. march — the month
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. board — a committee

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