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: vault · board · roll · mate · row · temple · swing · cell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. mate — a friend
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cell — a phone
  6. roll — a cake
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — to paddle
  10. swing — music
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mate — to breed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. roll — a list
  20. mate — a partner
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cell — in biology
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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