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: file · coach · straw · staff · fine · board · hide · nail

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — high quality
  7. staff — employees
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — employees
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. staff — a stick
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — all right
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. file — a line of people

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