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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. game — wild animals
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. content — the amount
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — for sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. content — happy
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — a match
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of a king
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — for light

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