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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mate — a friend
  9. game — wild animals
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — of the year
  12. dip — to sink
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. game — a match
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. mate — a partner
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. season — in sport

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