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 · court · ruler · object · safe · fan · net · straw

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — for catching
  4. board — a committee
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. court — for sport
  7. object — a thing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. court — of a king
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of law
  23. net — in sport
  24. board — a flat piece

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