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: bowl · present · pitcher · file · wave · leaves · board · plane

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. present — a gift
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a line of people
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. board — to get on
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. present — the time now
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. file — a tool
  24. present — there

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