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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. game — a match
  5. face — to confront
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. spell — letters
  8. face — part of the head
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. face — to point toward
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. toast — bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a committee

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