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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. shower — to wash
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitch — completely
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. fork — in a road
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — a hole
  13. kick — in football
  14. shower — rain
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. capital — money

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