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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cold — not warm
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. board — to get on
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bass — low music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — in music
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cold — an illness
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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