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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — to push
  4. court — of law
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cell — in biology
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. court — for sport
  14. craft — boats
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bass — the fish
  17. board — to get on
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — low music
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cell — a phone
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. press — a publisher

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