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: shower · staff · bass · fall · kick · board · cabinet · march

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the fish
  4. shower — rain
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bass — low music
  8. fall — to drop
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fall — to drop
  15. shower — to wash
  16. board — to get on
  17. march — the month
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fall — the season
  20. march — music
  21. kick — in football
  22. staff — a stick
  23. march — the month
  24. board — a committee

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