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: bound · field · deal · bat · board · lean · object · plane

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. board — a committee
  4. field — a subject
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. field — for sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. field — farmland
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — to protest
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. object — an aim
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. object — a thing
  24. bound — tied together

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