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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. capital — a city
  4. shower — to wash
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. shower — rain
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. board — to get on
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. kid — child
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. kick — in football
  15. band — a music group
  16. lean — thin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. capital — money
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a ring
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kid — to tease

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