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

Word bank: pitch · fan · board · pop · game · arm · tube · face

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. face — to confront
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pop — soda
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — part of the head
  16. game — wild animals
  17. tube — a container
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. face — to point toward
  20. game — a match
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pop — music

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