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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fine — high quality
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fine — all right
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pop — soda
  15. spell — magic
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pop — music
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. board — a committee
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — letters
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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