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: bound · saw · march · board · chair · ball · degree · arm

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. march — the month
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. march — the month
  6. ball — a dance
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bound — tied together
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. degree — temperature
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a committee
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bound — obliged
  19. degree — an amount
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. ball — a great time
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bound — certain
  24. chair — a leader

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