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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. board — a committee
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. fine — high quality
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. tube — the underground
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. tube — a container
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. key — for a lock
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fine — all right

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