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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rule — a law
  6. court — of law
  7. net — for catching
  8. court — of a king
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. net — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. court — for sport
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — a series

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