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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — to get on
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. season — of the year
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. board — a committee
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. saw — the tool
  18. nail — for a hammer

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