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 · fork · rule · lie · race · squash · shower · trunk

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. shower — rain
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. board — to get on
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — in a road
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. shower — to wash
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rule — government
  22. lie — to recline
  23. squash — the sport
  24. race — a contest

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