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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fall — the season
  10. board — a committee
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — of water
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fall — to drop
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. foot — the bottom

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