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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. row — a line
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bass — the fish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. capital — money
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. capital — a city
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bass — low music
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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