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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wind — moving air
  3. suit — in cards
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. face — to confront
  7. key — in music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — moving air
  12. face — part of the head
  13. key — the most important part
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. pit — a hole
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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