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: hand · bowl · bay · staff · mark · hide · board · straw

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — a grade
  7. hand — in cards
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. board — to get on
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mark — a trace
  19. staff — employees
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. hand — help
  23. board — a committee
  24. straw — dry grass

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