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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. present — there
  12. hand — in cards
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — a short time
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — help
  19. present — a gift
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. board — to get on
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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