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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — thin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tube — the underground
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. roll — a list
  13. lean — to bend
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — a container
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. board — to get on
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — in a tire

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