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: fan · foot · safe · press · mark · pitch · cell · board

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — to get on
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — completely
  7. press — to push
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mark — a trace
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — a grade
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — newspapers
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in biology
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fan — to cool the air

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