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: pit · trunk · stand · swing · squash · game · perch · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — to play on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. board — a committee
  6. swing — in golf
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. game — wild animals
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pit — in a race
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — to bear
  16. squash — the sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. swing — music
  23. squash — to crush
  24. stand — for spectators

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