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: foot · bay · board · stem · rash · wound · hand · can

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — a series
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. board — to get on
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — to come from

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