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 116 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: board · season · bore · ground · face · scale · land · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. board — to get on
  3. ground — crushed
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. ground — the earth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bass — the fish
  9. season — of the year
  10. land — ground
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. season — in sport
  13. face — to point toward
  14. scale — size or range
  15. face — to confront
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — to come down
  18. face — part of the head
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. land — a country
  22. board — a committee
  23. scale — in music
  24. bore — to drill

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