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: board · bark · cue · ground · mug · fan · hand · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. hand — in cards
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hand — help
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. board — to get on
  10. ground — a position
  11. pop — music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — soda

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