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
Word bank
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit Β· board Β· roll Β· game Β· hide Β· content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. content β€” videos and posts
  2. hide β€” animal skin
  3. content β€” happy
  4. roll β€” on a roll
  5. hide β€” to keep secret
  6. board β€” to get on
  7. game β€” wild animals
  8. pit β€” a fruit stone
  9. pit β€” a hole
  10. board β€” a committee
  11. roll β€” a cake
  12. game β€” a kind of play
  13. board β€” a flat piece
  14. game β€” a match
  15. roll β€” a list
  16. hide β€” to keep secret
  17. content β€” the amount
  18. pit β€” in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those 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