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: racket · land · board · pop · drill · ball · object · track

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — a practice
  4. pop — to visit
  5. drill — the tool
  6. board — a committee
  7. land — to come down
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. pop — music
  11. object — an aim
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — soda
  14. track — to keep track
  15. object — to protest
  16. object — a thing
  17. track — a path
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. land — a country
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. track — a song
  22. ball — a great time
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. ball — a dance

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