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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. mine — for digging
  3. board — a committee
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. kick — in football
  14. cap — a lid
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cap — a hat
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cap — of ice
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. board — a flat piece
  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