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 120 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 · face · board · fork · fine · rush · firm · drill

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. face — to confront
  4. rush — hurry
  5. firm — a company
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. fine — all right
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. firm — decided
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. firm — steady
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. hand — in cards
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hand — help
  24. fork — a garden 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