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: cell · board · shower · march · key · chair · root · pass

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. march — music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chair — a leader
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. shower — to wash
  12. key — the most important part
  13. march — the month
  14. root — of a word
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. root — the cause
  17. cell — a phone
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cell — in biology
  21. board — to get on
  22. key — for a lock
  23. shower — rain
  24. march — the month

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