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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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 — to get on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. tear — from crying
  5. vault — a safe
  6. tear — to rip
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rest — what's left
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — completely
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. board — a committee
  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