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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — wild animals
  3. degree — an amount
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a music group
  10. degree — from a university
  11. board — to get on
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — a match
  24. degree — temperature

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