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 120 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: coach · perch · board · row · bay · rash · snap · key

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. board — a committee
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. key — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. rash — a series
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. board — to get on
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. row — to paddle
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. row — a line
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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