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: wax · racket · court · rock · board · prune · file · key

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — of a king
  3. board — a committee
  4. court — of law
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. file — a document
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. key — in music
  11. court — for sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a line of people
  14. key — for a lock
  15. file — a tool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. rock — music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. prune — to trim
  20. key — the most important part
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rock — a stone

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