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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — after costs
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a lid
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. net — in sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. current — happening now
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mate — a friend
  15. object — a thing
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. current — electric
  18. row — a line
  19. band — a music group
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — of water
  24. object — to protest

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