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: fine · board · pop · spell · mine · calf · plane · content

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — letters
  7. board — a committee
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spell — magic
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. fine — high quality
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. pop — music

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