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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bound — obliged
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rule — government
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bound — certain
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — for digging
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — a law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pit — in a race
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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