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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. wake — a trail
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hand — in cards
  13. lean — thin
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stock — shares
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — the season
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — goods

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