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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. wound — an injury
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — the fruit
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. swing — in golf
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. branch — a division
  11. roll — a list
  12. rush — hurry
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. swing — music
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. court — of a king
  18. board — a committee
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. roll — a cake
  22. swing — to play on
  23. court — of law
  24. rush — a thrill

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