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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. clip — to cut
  4. board — a committee
  5. capital — money
  6. toast — bread
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. capital — a city
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. roll — a cake
  15. clip — for paper
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. clip — a video
  21. roll — a list
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. board — to get on

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