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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hand — help
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mine — for digging
  10. game — a match
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. race — humankind
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — a contest
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — a loud noise

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