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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hand — in cards
  5. board — to get on
  6. net — after costs
  7. race — humankind
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. toast — bread
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bore — to tire
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. race — the arms race
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. net — in sport
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bore — to drill
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. net — for catching
  23. hand — help
  24. race — a contest

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