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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. net — in sport
  3. fall — the season
  4. bass — low music
  5. kick — in football
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. tube — a container
  11. fall — to drop
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. mate — to breed
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a committee
  22. sharp — clever
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mate — a friend

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