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 · shower · bank · chip · band · stick · kid · wound

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a music group
  4. board — a committee
  5. chip — for betting
  6. bank — for money
  7. wound — an injury
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. kid — child
  10. wound — an injury
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — rain
  15. band — a ring
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kid — to tease
  18. chip — to eat
  19. board — to get on
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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