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: staff · court · wake · cue · branch · march · board · cap

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — music
  6. court — of a king
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — to get on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. court — of law
  13. staff — a stick
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — a trail
  17. branch — a division
  18. cue — a hint
  19. board — a committee
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cap — a lid

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