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 120 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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wake — a trail
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lie — to recline
  17. board — to get on
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. board — a committee
  22. cell — in biology
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. nail — on a finger

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