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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. object — an aim
  5. staff — a stick
  6. march — the month
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. squash — the sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — music
  12. object — to protest
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. board — to get on
  16. march — the month
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cold — not warm
  22. staff — employees
  23. kick — in football
  24. staff — employees

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