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: rock · hand · wave · snap · mouse · court · capital · board

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. board — to get on
  3. court — for sport
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. court — of a king
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. capital — money
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. hand — help
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. court — of law
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. hand — in cards
  23. board — a committee
  24. hand — part of the body

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