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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cold — not warm
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ball — a dance
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — a line
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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