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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. charge — a price
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. charge — electricity
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. row — a line
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. band — a music group
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — to get on
  20. charge — in control
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. board — a committee
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mine — belonging to me

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