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: rash · shower · calf · board · trunk · racket · march · fine

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — rain
  5. fine — all right
  6. march — the month
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — a series
  10. shower — to wash
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. march — music
  13. board — a committee
  14. fine — high quality
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rash — hasty

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