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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — for a lock
  5. staff — employees
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. staff — a stick
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — in music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to bend
  13. staff — employees
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — the most important part
  21. craft — boats
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — 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