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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cell — a phone
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. board — a committee
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. shower — rain
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rule — government
  23. cell — in biology
  24. kick — in football

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