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 116 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: bound · board · stand · row · vault · shower · face · hand

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. board — to get on
  4. bound — certain
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. shower — rain
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — a safe
  11. board — a committee
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bound — obliged
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hand — in cards
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — help
  24. stand — to bear

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