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

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. 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. rock — to move gently
  2. fall — the season
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cold — an illness
  7. board — a committee
  8. rash — hasty
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — music
  11. key — for a lock
  12. cold — not warm
  13. board — to get on
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. rash — a series
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. 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