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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rock — a stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. field — farmland
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. scale — in music
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rock — music
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. field — a subject
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. shower — rain
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. field — for sport
  21. scale — size or range
  22. board — a committee
  23. stem — to come from
  24. rock — to move gently

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