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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bark — to shout
  4. vault — a safe
  5. board — a committee
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — for digging
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitch — completely
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — to add flavour

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