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: season · wax · spell · game · racket · rule · board · cap

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. board — a committee
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spell — letters
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wax — to grow
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — in sport
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — government
  17. season — of the year
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cap — a hat
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. cap — of ice
  24. spell — a short time

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