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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — of ice
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. board — a committee
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cap — a hat
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — happening now
  12. game — wild animals
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — letters
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spell — magic
  23. cap — a lid
  24. game — a match

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