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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — to get on
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. board — a committee
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bat — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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