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: scale · land · mouse · dip · wind · spell · bowl · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. scale — size or range
  3. land — a country
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. spell — letters
  11. land — to come down
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — ground
  23. scale — in music
  24. dip — a sauce

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