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: tube · file · coach · wound · board · bound · saw · craft

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a document
  5. tube — a container
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — boats
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bound — certain
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bound — obliged
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. board — to get on
  17. craft — a skill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — the underground
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a tool
  24. tube — in a tire

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