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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — to get on
  3. rock — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. cold — an illness
  11. bound — certain
  12. snap — to click
  13. cue — for pool
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. cue — a signal
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. board — a committee
  19. bound — obliged
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. game — a match
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. bound — tied together

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