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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. track — a path
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — clever
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. track — a song
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. degree — from a university
  22. board — to get on
  23. chair — a leader
  24. board — a flat piece

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