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: face · track · stem · board · roll · prune · tube · key

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. roll — a list
  4. prune — to trim
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. key — for a lock
  10. tube — the underground
  11. roll — a cake
  12. prune — to trim
  13. track — to keep track
  14. face — to point toward
  15. track — a song
  16. key — in music
  17. track — a path
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — part of the head
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. face — to confront
  24. stem — a stem cell

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