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: board · safe · cold · pitch · degree · object · lean · tear

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. object — a thing
  3. lean — to bend
  4. degree — an amount
  5. object — an aim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — to rip
  8. object — to protest
  9. lean — thin
  10. degree — from a university
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. board — a committee
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. board — to get on
  18. cold — not warm
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. cold — an illness
  22. degree — temperature
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. safe — out of danger

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