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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. lie — to recline
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. press — newspapers
  9. track — a path
  10. press — a publisher
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wind — moving air
  15. track — a song
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. board — a committee
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. tube — a container

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