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: pitcher · wave · present · mate · board · snap · rock · march

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. present — the time now
  6. board — a committee
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rock — music
  9. snap — to click
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — to get on
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. march — music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. present — there
  17. march — the month
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a partner

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