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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — a committee
  4. band — a ring
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — from crying
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. clip — to cut
  12. tear — to rip
  13. clip — a video
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. stand — to bear
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. tear — from crying
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. band — a music group
  22. clip — for paper
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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