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: kid · board · lash · pitch · pop · bulb · hand · chair

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. pop — soda
  5. kid — to tease
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. board — to get on
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. board — a committee

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