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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. suit — in cards
  3. board — a committee
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. board — to get on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. row — a line
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. spell — a short time
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. spell — letters
  21. mark — a trace
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. court — of law

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