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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. board — a committee
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. game — a match
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — a permit
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of a tree

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