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 116 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: straw · board · mouse · bay · spring · fall · lie · track

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. fall — to drop
  13. spring — the season
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spring — of water
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lie — to recline
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — a coil
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — the season

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