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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. cold — not warm
  3. season — of the year
  4. board — a committee
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. season — in sport
  7. board — to get on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. field — a subject
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. field — farmland
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. cold — an illness
  24. arm — part of the body

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