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 happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. board — to get on
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — a position
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bear — the animal

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