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: wind · dip · kick · coach · board · charge · spell · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. board — to get on
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. charge — electricity
  6. kick — in football
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — a committee
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — in control
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. charge — a price
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. dip — to sink
  24. kick — with a leg

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