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: drill · bark · squash · fine · board · mark · current · tube

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — high quality
  4. current — electric
  5. board — a committee
  6. tube — a container
  7. fine — all right
  8. tube — the underground
  9. board — to get on
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. drill — a practice
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. drill — army training
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. current — of water

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