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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a cup
  4. content — the amount
  5. cell — a phone
  6. board — a committee
  7. wound — an injury
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — a face
  11. can — to be able to
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. cell — in biology
  17. content — happy
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. mug — to rob
  24. toast — the most admired

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