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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. last — to go on
  4. board — a committee
  5. hand — help
  6. face — to confront
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — finally
  14. stock — shares
  15. board — to get on
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. last — final
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. pit — a hole
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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