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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — help
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spell — magic
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fall — the season
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hand — in cards
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fall — to drop
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. spell — letters

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