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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — music
  5. mug — a face
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — to get on
  16. hand — in cards
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — a committee
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — soda
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cell — in a prison

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