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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. staff — a stick
  4. firm — decided
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a committee
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. firm — a company
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. firm — steady
  15. staff — employees
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. staff — employees
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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