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: stick · content · row · cap · pit · lash · sharp · board

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. content — happy
  5. board — to get on
  6. cap — of ice
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. cap — a lid
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cap — a hat
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — to paddle
  20. content — the amount
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. row — a line

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