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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. race — humankind
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — a committee
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. race — a contest
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. race — the arms race
  13. foot — a measure
  14. chair — a leader
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mug — a face
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — the season
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mug — a cup

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