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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. row — to paddle
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wind — moving air
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. row — a line
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fan — to cool the air

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