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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. spell — a short time
  4. craft — a skill
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — for golf
  7. ball — a great time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — boats
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. spell — magic
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — letters
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. face — part of the head
  24. club — for dancing

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