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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. row — to paddle
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — soda
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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