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 · face · pit · toast · board · straw · stand · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. pit — in a race
  3. board — a committee
  4. toast — bread
  5. pit — a hole
  6. march — the month
  7. face — to confront
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. face — part of the head
  11. roll — a cake
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. march — the month
  20. march — music
  21. stand — to bear
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. board — to get on

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