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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. ball — a great time
  4. drill — army training
  5. board — a committee
  6. ball — a dance
  7. drill — the tool
  8. game — wild animals
  9. board — to get on
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. game — a match
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. drill — a practice
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stand — for spectators

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