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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. board — to get on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bulb — for light
  10. field — for sport
  11. rock — music
  12. hand — help
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. field — a subject
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rest — what's left
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bulb — for light

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