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 120 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: mate · game · dip · cap · mine · bark · board · lash

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — a lid
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cap — a hat
  6. game — a match
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. dip — to sink
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. board — a committee
  16. mate — a partner
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cap — of ice

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