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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fine — all right
  4. board — a committee
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — high quality
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — to go on
  9. root — the cause
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. root — of a word
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. last — final
  18. date — the fruit

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