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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rock — music
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. clip — a video
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. clip — for paper
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. board — a committee
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — to get on
  22. court — for sport
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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