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 116 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. kick — in football
  6. dip — to sink
  7. game — wild animals
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. game — a match
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. board — to get on
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. craft — a skill
  23. mine — for digging
  24. nail — on a finger

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