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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. board — to get on
  6. current — of water
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — to wash
  10. court — of law
  11. track — a path
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — rain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — for sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pass — a permit
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. track — a song
  22. board — a committee
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pass — to succeed

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