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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. object — an aim
  3. fall — to drop
  4. board — a committee
  5. fall — the season
  6. last — finally
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. last — to go on
  10. board — to get on
  11. object — to protest
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. last — final
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. object — a thing
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a city
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. capital — money

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