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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. board — to get on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — in music
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cap — of ice
  10. court — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. mark — a trace
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. scale — size or range
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — of law
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — a grade

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