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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. degree — from a university
  10. cap — a lid
  11. spell — letters
  12. cap — a hat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — magic
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. prune — to trim
  19. degree — an amount
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mine — for digging
  22. prune — to trim
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bowl — to roll

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