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 laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. chest — of your body
  2. board — a committee
  3. chest — a box
  4. present — there
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. staff — a stick
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. staff — employees
  11. chest — of your body
  12. present — a gift
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cell — a phone
  17. staff — employees
  18. spring — the season
  19. stand — to bear
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. present — the time now
  23. land — to come down
  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