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: date · board · jam · wound · rock · game · present · cap

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — a committee
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. game — a match
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. present — a gift
  9. wound — an injury
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. present — there
  13. rock — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. cap — a lid
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wound — an injury
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. date — the fruit
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rock — a stone
  22. present — the time now
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. cap — of ice

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