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: sharp · season · ball · board · leaves · wound · chest · temple

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chest — a box
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — a committee
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. sharp — clever
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wound — an injury
  24. ball — a round shape

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