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: game · board · plane · rash · pitch · band · deal · bound

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. band — a ring
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bound — certain
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. board — to get on
  11. rash — a series
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — tied together
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. deal — to handle
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — a committee
  24. plane — an aircraft

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