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: board · shower · current · craft · bore · land · roll · mark

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. roll — a cake
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. shower — rain
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. land — ground
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — a country
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mark — a grade
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. roll — a list
  18. land — to come down
  19. current — of water
  20. bore — to tire
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — electric
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a committee

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