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: trunk · bowl · roll · mate · chip · board · bat · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chip — to eat
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ground — the earth
  14. board — to get on
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — a position
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. board — a committee
  19. roll — a list
  20. chip — for betting
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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