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 120 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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. cold — an illness
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. press — newspapers
  6. land — to come down
  7. cold — not warm
  8. board — to get on
  9. land — a country
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. current — happening now
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — finally
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. board — a committee
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — letters
  22. current — of water
  23. spell — magic
  24. current — electric

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