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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. game — a match
  3. rock — a stone
  4. season — in sport
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — music
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. net — for catching
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. net — after costs
  17. game — wild animals
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — in sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. mine — for digging
  24. season — of the year

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