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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. vault — a safe
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bass — the fish
  7. club — for dancing
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — of the year
  12. bass — low music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. season — in sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. board — to get on
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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