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: staff · present · craft · pitch · wax · board · land · current

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. present — the time now
  3. current — of water
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wax — to grow
  6. staff — employees
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. craft — a skill
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. board — a committee
  12. land — ground
  13. board — to get on
  14. current — happening now
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. craft — boats
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — completely
  20. staff — a stick
  21. present — a gift
  22. land — a country
  23. present — there
  24. staff — employees

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