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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stem — to come from
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. board — a committee
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — to get on
  22. roll — a cake
  23. roll — a list
  24. bowl — to roll

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