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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. board — a committee
  4. swing — in golf
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. swing — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. row — a line
  16. scale — size or range
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. sharp — with an edge

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