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 120 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: object · firm · tube · pitcher · kid · board · saw · mine

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. kid — child
  2. board — to get on
  3. firm — steady
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. firm — a company
  11. object — an aim
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. saw — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. object — to protest
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mine — for digging
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — a thing
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. firm — decided
  23. board — a flat piece
  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