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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stock — goods
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. squash — to crush
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — shares
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cold — an illness
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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