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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — a committee
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — ground
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — hurry
  11. board — to get on
  12. lie — to recline
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pit — a hole
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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