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: board · sharp · season · mouse · race · stick · spell · scale

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. race — the arms race
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. board — a committee
  6. race — a contest
  7. scale — size or range
  8. race — humankind
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — in music
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. spell — letters
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — to get on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. season — in sport

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