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 · racket · row · press · game · content · squash · ruler

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — a publisher
  3. row — a line
  4. board — a committee
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. press — to push
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. content — happy
  13. game — a match
  14. row — to paddle
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. content — the amount
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. row — a quarrel

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