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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. last — to go on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — there
  14. fork — in a road
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — to get on
  19. present — a gift
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spell — magic
  22. board — a committee
  23. present — the time now
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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