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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bear — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — of water
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. season — of the year
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. current — electric
  14. club — a group
  15. board — a committee
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — happening now
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — in sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. cap — a hat
  23. board — to get on
  24. bear — to put up with

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