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: spring · jam · mark · board · race · fine · pitch · rock

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. mark — a grade
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mark — a trace
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — music
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. fine — high quality
  14. race — a contest
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — a coil
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. race — humankind
  21. spring — of water
  22. race — the arms race
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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