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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. charge — electricity
  3. board — a committee
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bat — the animal
  6. court — of law
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. charge — in control
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. board — to get on
  15. cell — in biology
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — to trim
  19. court — of a king
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cell — a phone
  24. perch — the fish

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