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: land · board · bound · season · cell · wave · content · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bound — obliged
  4. board — to get on
  5. season — of the year
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — ground
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. content — the amount
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bound — certain
  13. board — a committee
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bound — tied together
  17. cell — a phone
  18. content — happy
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hide — to keep secret

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