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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. spell — magic
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. spell — letters
  7. sharp — clever
  8. fall — to drop
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fall — to drop
  15. spell — a short time
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. fall — the season
  21. mark — a trace
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — not warm

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