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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — a gift
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rest — a break
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — the time now
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — there
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rest — what's left
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. bass — low music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cell — a phone

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