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: leaves · arm · content · mine · stand · coach · nail · board

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. content — the amount
  4. board — a committee
  5. content — happy
  6. mine — for digging
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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