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 · date · deal · row · fan · lash · ball · drill

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ball — a great time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — to get on
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. date — the fruit
  10. drill — army training
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ball — a dance
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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