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 · fork · roll · branch · ball · court · lash · bowl

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ball — a great time
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. branch — a division
  10. board — to get on
  11. roll — a list
  12. court — of law
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ball — a dance
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. roll — a cake
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. fork — in a road
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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