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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — goods
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cue — a signal
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. band — a music group
  11. squash — to crush
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — a hint
  19. mate — a partner
  20. track — a song
  21. stock — shares
  22. band — a ring
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. squash — the vegetable

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