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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · board · fork · perch · wound · land · pop · bass

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fork — in a road
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. board — a committee
  8. land — a country
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bass — low music
  14. board — to get on
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. land — ground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. perch — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. mate — a partner

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