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: kid · board · roll · bay · swing · capital · drill · can

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. drill — army training
  3. board — a committee
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — the tool
  9. kid — child
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — to get on
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. kid — to tease
  18. can — a tin
  19. drill — a practice
  20. swing — music
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. capital — money
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. capital — a city

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