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: fall · board · bore · pop · straw · ball · nail · mouse

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ball — a great time
  11. board — a committee
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pop — to visit
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. nail — on a finger

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