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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. stem — to come from
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pound — a weight
  7. last — final
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. board — to get on
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. last — to go on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. last — finally
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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