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 116 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 · pound · bat · leaves · mate · bay · drill · hide

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. board — to get on
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. drill — army training
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pound — a weight

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