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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — a committee
  5. field — for sport
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bound — tied together
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mate — to breed
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — to get on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — farmland
  19. bound — certain
  20. field — a subject
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mate — a partner

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