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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. field — for sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — a subject
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fall — the season
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wax — to grow
  23. field — farmland
  24. fall — to drop

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