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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · wave · board · field · nail · cell · swing · scale

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. swing — music
  3. field — for sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. scale — size or range
  8. cell — in biology
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. cell — a phone
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. scale — in music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. field — farmland
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. board — to get on
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. swing — in golf
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. swing — to play on
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. nail — for a hammer

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