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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. ground — a position
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cold — not warm
  10. rock — music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. board — to get on
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pitch — completely

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