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: swing · saw · land · prune · board · spell · staff · fan

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. saw — the tool
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. swing — music
  12. land — a country
  13. swing — to play on
  14. staff — a stick
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spell — letters
  17. swing — in golf
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. board — a committee
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. prune — to trim

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