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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fine — all right
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — a match
  8. board — a committee
  9. race — a contest
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bulb — for light
  12. race — humankind
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bark — to shout
  18. spring — the season
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lie — an untruth

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