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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. capital — a city
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — money
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. board — a committee
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pound — a weight

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