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

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. row — to paddle
  4. game — a match
  5. rash — a series
  6. roll — a list
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — to get on
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. roll — a cake
  14. rash — hasty
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. row — a line
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — the tool
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. row — a quarrel

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