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 · march · date · charge · pit · cap · content · land

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. march — the month
  2. content — the amount
  3. date — the fruit
  4. content — happy
  5. march — music
  6. land — a country
  7. march — the month
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — in control
  10. board — to get on
  11. cap — a lid
  12. land — ground
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. cap — a hat
  15. land — to come down
  16. cap — of ice
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. charge — a price
  23. content — videos and posts
  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