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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. spring — the season
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fall — to drop
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. fall — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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