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: trunk · sharp · date · rock · land · club · row · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  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 — a committee
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. board — to get on
  6. row — a line
  7. rock — a stone
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. land — ground
  10. row — to paddle
  11. land — to come down
  12. date — the fruit
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rock — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — a country
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. sharp — with an edge
  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