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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. court — of a king
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — for sport
  9. cell — in biology
  10. spring — the season
  11. cell — a phone
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — to get on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. court — of law
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — to eat

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