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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. kid — child
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bass — the fish
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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