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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — to get on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. spell — letters
  8. present — the time now
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. present — a gift
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. spell — a short time
  15. present — there
  16. roll — a cake
  17. track — to keep track
  18. roll — a list
  19. board — a committee
  20. game — a match
  21. track — a song
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. track — a path

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