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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ground — a position
  6. track — a path
  7. net — in sport
  8. date — the fruit
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a song
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — a committee
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. board — to get on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ground — crushed
  21. net — after costs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. net — for catching
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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