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: march · ball · pitcher · row · cue · board · nail · date

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. board — a committee
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. march — the month
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. march — music
  22. board — to get on
  23. march — the month
  24. cue — a hint

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