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 124 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bank — for money
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. board — a committee
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bat — the animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — to get on
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bank — of a river
  23. spring — the season
  24. bark — to shout

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