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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fine — all right
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. board — a committee
  7. season — in sport
  8. shower — to wash
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ball — a great time
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. firm — decided
  13. fine — high quality
  14. kid — child
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. shower — rain
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. season — of the year
  19. ball — a dance
  20. firm — a company
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. firm — steady
  24. board — a flat piece

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