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: kid · board · foot · straw · rock · current · hand · cue

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. cue — a hint
  3. board — to get on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — of water
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. hand — help
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — a measure
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kid — to tease
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. kid — child
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — for pool
  22. current — electric
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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