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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bound — certain
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bat — the animal
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stem — to come from
  8. fall — to drop
  9. board — to get on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season

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