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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. chest — of your body
  4. scale — in music
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — a box
  8. wind — moving air
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lean — thin
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rash — hasty
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wind — moving air
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. board — a committee
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. scale — for weighing

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