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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — to get on
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chest — a box
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. cell — in biology
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ball — a round shape

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