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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — humankind
  4. land — to come down
  5. swing — to play on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. cell — in biology
  11. swing — music
  12. pound — a weight
  13. land — a country
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. board — to get on
  16. cell — a phone
  17. race — a contest
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. row — to paddle
  20. swing — in golf
  21. race — the arms race
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — ground
  24. row — a line

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