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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. board — a committee
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. clip — a video
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — in a race
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a match
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pit — a hole
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. fan — a supporter

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