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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bound — obliged
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — ground
  5. dip — to sink
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bound — certain
  8. mate — a partner
  9. land — to come down
  10. rest — a break
  11. mate — to breed
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. mate — a friend
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rest — what's left
  22. land — a country
  23. rash — a series
  24. board — a committee

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