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 116 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 · board · snap · tube · mouse · club · nail · cabinet

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. club — for golf
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. hand — help
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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