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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. club — a group
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. face — to confront
  12. land — a country
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — a weight
  15. face — to point toward
  16. court — of law
  17. board — a committee
  18. bark — to shout
  19. branch — a division
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. club — for golf
  24. face — part of the head

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