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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — magic
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. fall — the season
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — farmland
  14. board — a committee
  15. spell — a short time
  16. field — a subject
  17. squash — to crush
  18. board — to get on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fall — to drop

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