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 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. ground — crushed
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — a committee
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — a skill
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. squash — the sport
  22. ground — the earth
  23. current — of water
  24. board — a flat piece

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