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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cold — not warm
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. current — happening now
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. current — of water
  17. cold — an illness
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. current — electric
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ball — a dance
  24. leaves — of a tree

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