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: lash · rash · march · land · row · board · mate · fan

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. row — to paddle
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. land — a country
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. rash — hasty
  8. land — to come down
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a friend
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. land — ground
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. board — to get on
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. row — a line
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rash — a series

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