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 120 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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — to get on
  4. cell — a phone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. file — a tool
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. band — a ring
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a music group
  13. file — a document
  14. plane — a tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. file — a line of people
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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