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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. spell — letters
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — to bear
  11. drill — army training
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. fine — all right
  17. spell — magic
  18. spring — a coil
  19. drill — the tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. drill — a practice
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. board — a committee

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