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 116 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — the fish
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. plane — a tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stock — goods
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. board — a committee
  18. stock — shares
  19. cold — not warm
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. cold — the Cold War

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