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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — a grade
  3. squash — the sport
  4. object — an aim
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. object — to protest
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fine — all right
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. fine — high quality
  20. board — to get on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. game — a match
  23. object — a thing
  24. mark — a trace

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