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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — a company
  10. court — of a king
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. branch — a division
  16. firm — decided
  17. current — electric
  18. board — to get on
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — part of the head
  21. court — of law
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — happening now

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