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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wake — a trail
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a committee
  9. court — of law
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. board — to get on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. court — for sport
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. court — of a king
  24. mine — for digging

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