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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — crushed
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ground — the earth
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — letters
  10. ground — a position
  11. lie — to recline
  12. last — final
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. last — to go on
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. last — finally
  23. spell — a short time
  24. leaves — of a tree

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