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: toast · racket · tube · board · wake · prune · kid · net

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wake — a trail
  5. net — in sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — bread
  11. net — after costs
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. board — to get on
  18. net — for catching
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — a container
  24. prune — to trim

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