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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spring — of water
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — bread
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — of a king
  9. mine — for digging
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — for sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bass — low music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bowl — to roll

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