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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — of law
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. board — a committee
  5. court — for sport
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ball — a dance
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. drill — army training
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. drill — a practice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a great time
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. court — of a king

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