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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — a committee
  3. kid — to tease
  4. game — a match
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — low music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. band — a ring
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bass — the fish
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. suit — to fit

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