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: stand · suit · calf · land · wound · board · hand · rush

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. stand — to bear
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. suit — in cards
  9. land — ground
  10. board — to get on
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. land — a country
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hand — in cards
  21. suit — to fit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. rush — a thrill

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