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: pit · sharp · board · snap · roll · toast · march · staff

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. board — to get on
  5. staff — employees
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pit — a hole
  12. board — a committee
  13. march — the month
  14. roll — a cake
  15. toast — bread
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. march — the month
  18. roll — a list
  19. sharp — clever
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. toast — the most admired

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