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 · saw · rash · drill · degree · mate · coach · rest

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — to breed
  3. degree — an amount
  4. rash — a series
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a committee
  10. drill — a practice
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. degree — from a university
  21. drill — army training
  22. mate — a friend
  23. degree — temperature
  24. drill — the tool

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