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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fall — the season
  3. board — to get on
  4. bat — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. fall — to drop
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitch — completely
  12. fall — to drop
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a committee
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hand — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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