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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — a committee
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. field — for sport
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. spring — a coil
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — the season
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging
  19. field — farmland
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. field — a subject
  23. board — to get on
  24. fine — high quality

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