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

Word bank: chest · bay · snap · board · key · bound · ground · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ground — a position
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bound — obliged
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. board — to get on
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to click
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bound — tied together
  23. key — in music
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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