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: mine · suit · march · pop · track · board · roll · wake

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. roll — a cake
  6. track — to keep track
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. march — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. roll — a list
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. march — the month
  17. pop — soda
  18. board — to get on
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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