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: rash · present · cue · mug · hide · wind · board · arm

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. board — a committee
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mug — a face
  5. rash — a series
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cue — a hint
  9. present — there
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mug — a cup
  13. present — the time now
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cue — for pool
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rash — hasty
  21. present — a gift
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. board — to get on
  24. arm — part of the body

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