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

Word bank: snap · pitcher · field · board · mate · fine · sharp · chest

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. chest — a box
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. board — a committee
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. field — a subject
  10. snap — to click
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. field — for sport
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. field — farmland
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — all right
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mate — to breed
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pitcher — a jug

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