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 120 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: board · band · drill · swing · degree · pit · net · rule

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. band — a rubber band
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pit — in a race
  4. band — a music group
  5. rule — government
  6. drill — a practice
  7. degree — temperature
  8. net — for catching
  9. rule — a law
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — army training
  15. degree — from a university
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a ring
  18. pit — a hole
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. degree — an amount
  23. drill — the tool
  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