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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — a committee
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bat — the animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. kid — child
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — a container
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. can — to be able to
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. hand — in cards
  20. board — to get on
  21. staff — a stick
  22. tube — the underground
  23. can — a tin
  24. staff — employees

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