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 120 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: ball · rash · hand · rule · board · squash

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ball — a dance
  4. hand — help
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — a series
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rule — government
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rule — a law

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