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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — to come from
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. last — finally
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — in music
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wind — moving air
  17. last — final
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. last — to go on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kid — child
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. board — to get on
  24. mouse — for a computer

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