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: mouse · club · pop · bowl · wound · wind · board · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. board — a committee
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. wind — moving air
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — music
  18. club — for golf
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — a group
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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