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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. file — a document
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a line of people
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. content — happy
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. race — humankind
  23. board — a committee
  24. content — the amount

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