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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. present — there
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bear — the animal
  10. present — a gift
  11. board — to get on
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. race — humankind
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. race — a contest
  20. mate — a friend
  21. chest — a box
  22. present — the time now
  23. foot — a measure
  24. race — the arms race

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