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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · sharp · pound · ball · press · kick

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pound — a weight
  3. board — a committee
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. press — a publisher
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — in football
  10. ball — a great time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — to push
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. press — newspapers
  18. ball — a dance

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