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: field · ruler · net · board · chair · bore · coach · kid

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. board — to get on
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. board — a committee
  8. field — a subject
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. field — for sport
  13. chair — a leader
  14. kid — to tease
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — after costs
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. kid — child
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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