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 116 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: rule · swing · pitcher · plane · board · coach · patient · hand

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. hand — help
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rule — a law
  21. swing — music
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — to play on

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