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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chest — of your body
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chest — of your body
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — the sport
  18. chest — a box
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — a committee
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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