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

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hand — help
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. board — to get on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — in cards
  17. deal — to handle
  18. game — wild animals

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