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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. board — a committee
  3. present — a gift
  4. foot — a measure
  5. present — there
  6. pass — a permit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. snap — to click
  11. spell — a short time
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bound — certain
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bound — obliged
  18. present — the time now
  19. board — to get on
  20. spell — magic
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bound — tied together
  24. racket — for tennis

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