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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. ground — the earth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — a contest
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. board — a committee
  14. ground — a position
  15. cap — a lid
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. ground — crushed
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. race — humankind

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