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: game · plane · band · board · wave · net · pitcher · ball

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. game — a match
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a great time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ball — a dance
  18. net — in sport
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. net — after costs
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. board — to get on

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