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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — to get on
  8. staff — a stick
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. staff — employees
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wake — a trail
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. shower — to wash

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