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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. board — a committee
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. hand — help
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hand — in cards
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wound — an injury
  24. board — to get on

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