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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. ground — a position
  19. bat — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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