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: date · current · board · chest · hand · pass · net · stand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — help
  3. current — happening now
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. net — for catching
  6. date — the fruit
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. current — electric
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chest — a box
  14. pass — a permit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — of water
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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