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: bulb · last · present · drill · season · can · board · degree

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — in sport
  4. last — final
  5. season — of the year
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — for light
  9. present — the time now
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — to be able to
  16. degree — from a university
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. last — finally
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. last — to go on
  22. drill — army training
  23. degree — temperature
  24. can — a tin

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