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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — ground
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rest — a break
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hand — help
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — in sport
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — completely
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — a committee
  24. hide — to keep secret

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