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: board · cabinet · scale · degree · season · rock · coach · fan

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. board — to get on
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. season — of the year
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — temperature
  12. season — in sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. scale — size or range
  24. coach — a trainer

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