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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. bound — certain
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bound — tied together
  7. board — a committee
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. shower — to wash
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — of ice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — to come from
  20. lean — thin
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bound — obliged
  23. shower — rain
  24. stem — a stem cell

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