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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. can — a tin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — wild animals
  5. charge — a price
  6. board — a committee
  7. fall — to drop
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — the season
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fall — to drop
  14. game — a match
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. field — a subject
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — to get on
  23. field — for sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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