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 120 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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a committee
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — to come down
  5. court — of a king
  6. land — ground
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. spell — letters
  11. branch — a division
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spell — magic
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — a country
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — to get on
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  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