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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — size or range
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. key — in music
  8. bark — to shout
  9. board — to get on
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. board — a committee
  18. clip — a video
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. key — the most important part
  22. scale — in music
  23. clip — for paper
  24. key — for a lock

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