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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. track — to keep track
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. board — to get on
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wake — a trail
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. current — happening now
  18. pop — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. track — a path
  21. board — a committee
  22. wind — moving air
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — to visit

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