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: snap · ball · mate · hand · roll · board · race · patient

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. race — a contest
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. roll — a cake
  7. race — humankind
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. hand — in cards
  12. ball — a dance
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. mate — a friend
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a great time
  17. race — the arms race
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. snap — to click

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