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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. clip — a video
  4. field — for sport
  5. object — an aim
  6. field — farmland
  7. board — to get on
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — tied together
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. object — a thing
  13. season — of the year
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. season — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bound — certain
  19. clip — to cut
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wound — an injury
  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