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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. suit — to fit
  3. tear — to rip
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fine — all right
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. foot — a measure
  12. suit — clothes
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — certain
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bound — tied together
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bound — obliged
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. lie — to recline

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