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: hide · capital · pitcher · rash · kid · board · lean · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. capital — a city
  10. rash — hasty
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. roll — a list
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. lean — thin
  21. roll — a cake
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — money
  24. lean — to rest against

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