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: content · pass · board · key · game · scale · perch · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a match
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. key — the most important part
  7. scale — in music
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — in music
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. content — happy
  14. board — a committee
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. scale — size or range
  19. content — the amount
  20. game — wild animals
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. key — for a lock
  24. game — a kind of play

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