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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. race — a contest
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — in sport
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — of the year
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. row — a line
  16. race — the arms race
  17. row — to paddle
  18. kick — in football
  19. band — a music group
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. board — a committee
  22. race — humankind
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. row — a quarrel

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