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: spell · court · wake · board · mark · wave · key · lean

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. court — of law
  4. board — to get on
  5. court — for sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spell — letters
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. mark — a grade
  20. spell — a short time
  21. board — a committee
  22. court — of a king
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spell — magic

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