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: board · chest · pound · bank · face · last · fine · suit

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. last — to go on
  3. chest — of your body
  4. last — final
  5. chest — a box
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — a weight
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. face — part of the head
  10. bank — for money
  11. board — to get on
  12. last — finally
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bank — for money
  20. board — a committee
  21. face — to confront
  22. fine — high quality
  23. face — to point toward
  24. pound — for dogs

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