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: board · pit · key · march · press · file · club · sharp

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pit — in a race
  4. club — for dancing
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. march — the month
  10. key — in music
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. march — music
  14. sharp — clever
  15. march — the month
  16. key — for a lock
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. press — a publisher
  19. club — a group
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. press — to push
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — for golf
  24. pit — a hole

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