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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. board — a committee
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a great time
  6. deal — to handle
  7. shower — rain
  8. net — in sport
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. board — to get on
  11. chest — of your body
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. net — for catching
  14. row — a line
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lean — thin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lean — to bend
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — to paddle
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — after costs

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