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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the fish
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — happy
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. content — the amount
  14. rash — hasty
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. craft — boats
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — low music
  21. pound — a weight
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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