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 · racket · arm · suit · pass · fan · land · lash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pass — a permit
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. board — to get on
  7. suit — in cards
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — clothes
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. board — a committee
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. suit — to fit
  24. land — ground

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