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: shower · capital · rock · chest · rush · board · trunk · stick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chest — of your body
  4. board — a committee
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. capital — a city
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rock — a stone
  11. capital — money
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — of your body
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chest — a box
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. rock — music
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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