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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. mine — for digging
  6. net — for catching
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bound — obliged
  9. board — to get on
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. net — in sport
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. track — a path
  21. rush — hurry
  22. track — a song
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. net — after costs

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