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 124 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. row — a line
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. court — for sport
  10. board — a committee
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. court — of law
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. board — a flat piece

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