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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. board — to get on
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rest — a break
  9. board — a committee
  10. prune — to trim
  11. vault — a safe
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — a permit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. game — wild animals
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pass — to succeed

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