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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. land — ground
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. land — to come down
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bass — low music
  17. bear — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. cell — in biology
  21. dip — to sink
  22. land — a country
  23. bass — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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