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: board · last · bass · bay · mine · game · ball · cap

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — a committee
  8. game — a match
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — the fish
  15. last — final
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. board — to get on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a kind of play

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