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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. charge — a price
  3. club — a group
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. club — for golf
  9. pitch — completely
  10. charge — electricity
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lie — to recline
  23. club — for dancing
  24. can — a tin

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