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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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 sales talk
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ground — a position
  9. file — a document
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. field — for sport
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — part of the head
  17. board — a committee
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. field — farmland
  20. ground — the earth
  21. field — a subject
  22. face — to confront
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ground — crushed

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