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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — a match
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — completely
  24. board — a flat piece

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