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: hide · kick · key · band · board · cell · land · bound

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bound — certain
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. land — to come down
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — obliged
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — in biology
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. land — ground
  17. board — to get on
  18. key — in music
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. key — for a lock
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bound — tied together
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. land — a country

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