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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — for digging
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. rock — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. current — happening now
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. current — electric
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — a stone

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