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 124 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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — of law
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. chest — of your body
  10. row — a line
  11. court — for sport
  12. chest — a box
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chest — of your body
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a match
  19. row — to paddle
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a committee
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. court — of a king
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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