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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — the most important part
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitch — completely
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — a division
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. board — a committee
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. pitch — a sports field

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