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 · rash · racket · trunk · nail · band · cue · clip

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. cue — for pool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rash — hasty
  10. clip — a video
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. board — to get on
  22. rash — a series
  23. clip — to cut
  24. trunk — of a tree

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