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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. board — to get on
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. firm — steady
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. clip — a video
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — rain
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pass — a permit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. shower — to wash
  24. pitcher — a jug

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