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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. net — after costs
  4. can — a tin
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. shower — rain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. charge — a price
  9. net — for catching
  10. can — a tin
  11. race — a contest
  12. net — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. charge — electricity
  15. board — a committee
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. race — the arms race
  18. kick — in football
  19. charge — in control
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. shower — to wash
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. race — humankind

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