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: board · stand · squash · wake · face · bulb · lash · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. face — to confront
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chest — of your body
  13. squash — to crush
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. board — to get on
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — to point toward
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wake — before a funeral

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