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: arm · object · board · wound · land · staff · chest · season

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — an aim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — of the year
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — a country
  19. wound — an injury
  20. chest — of your body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. staff — a stick
  23. land — ground
  24. wound — an injury

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