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: file · safe · tube · present · board · ball · straw · march

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a great time
  5. file — a document
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. march — music
  9. tube — a container
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. present — the time now
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. march — the month
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. present — a gift
  16. file — a tool
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a dance
  21. file — a line of people
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — the month
  24. board — a committee

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