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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. land — a country
  2. hand — help
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bear — the animal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. land — ground
  16. board — to get on
  17. content — the amount
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. bear — the animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bear — to put up with
  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