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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. squash — to crush
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. degree — temperature
  6. squash — the sport
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mate — a friend
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. board — to get on
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — letters
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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