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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cell — a phone
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — to cut
  5. board — a committee
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — in biology
  14. clip — a video
  15. capital — a city
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. board — a flat piece

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