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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. board — a committee
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. staff — employees
  10. board — to get on
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pass — a permit
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. present — there
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — employees
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — of the year
  21. present — the time now
  22. season — in sport
  23. degree — temperature
  24. wound — an injury

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