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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cell — in biology
  7. board — to get on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. press — newspapers
  15. drill — a practice
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. game — a match
  20. drill — army training
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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