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: court · current · degree · fork · lie · board · face · last

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fork — in a road
  4. degree — temperature
  5. face — to confront
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — to point toward
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. current — electric
  13. court — of a king
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. face — part of the head
  18. current — of water
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. degree — from a university
  21. court — of law
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lie — to recline
  24. last — final

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