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 120 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: court · wind · track · fine · bass · row · perch · board

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. track — a path
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of law
  7. fine — all right
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. track — a song
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — a committee
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — a line
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — for sport
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — of a king
  21. row — to paddle
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wind — moving air
  24. track — to keep track

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