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: pit · file · board · ground · deal · arm · ball · straw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. board — to get on
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. deal — to handle
  15. file — a document
  16. ball — a great time
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. file — a tool
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pit — in a race

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