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: cabinet · fork · board · race · degree · wave

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. degree — from a university
  7. board — to get on
  8. degree — an amount
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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