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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. last — to go on
  4. bear — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pitch — completely
  21. last — final
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. board — a committee

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