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 124 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bat — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — a match
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a hole
  13. vault — a safe
  14. toast — bread
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ruler — for measuring

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