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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a committee
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. clip — to cut
  7. board — to get on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. ball — a great time
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. clip — a video
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bass — low music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. branch — a division
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ruler — for measuring

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