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 120 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. field — farmland
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rest — what's left
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. field — a subject
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. field — for sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. sharp — clever
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. season — in sport
  14. present — the time now
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. present — there
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — of the year
  20. board — a committee
  21. rest — a break
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  24. season — to add flavour

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