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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. board — a committee
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. spell — letters
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spell — magic
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. march — music
  19. degree — an amount
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spell — a short time
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — certain
  24. stem — a stem cell

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