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: hand · capital · court · foot · rash · trunk · lean · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hand — help
  4. court — of law
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. court — for sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. capital — money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — of a king
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. board — a committee
  23. rash — a series
  24. trunk — of a car

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