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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — army training
  6. bear — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. face — to confront
  10. board — to get on
  11. face — part of the head
  12. field — a subject
  13. craft — boats
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cap — a hat
  21. face — to point toward
  22. drill — a practice
  23. craft — a skill
  24. spell — magic

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