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: stem · board · cue · safe · fall · kid · court · rest

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. court — of a king
  3. fall — the season
  4. court — for sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cue — for pool
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — of law
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. cue — a hint
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — to drop
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rest — what's left
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rest — a break
  23. kid — child
  24. board — to get 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