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: saw · hand · board · face · charge · drill · cue · field

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. drill — army training
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. charge — in control
  10. face — part of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — a committee
  13. field — for sport
  14. cue — for pool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. face — to confront
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. charge — a price
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — a subject
  22. hand — help
  23. charge — electricity
  24. drill — a practice

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