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: present · march · hide · straw · pop · degree · board · swing

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. degree — an amount
  3. pop — to visit
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. march — music
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. march — the month
  8. present — the time now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. present — there
  12. pop — music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. swing — in golf
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. degree — from a university
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. march — the month
  23. board — to get on
  24. pop — soda

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