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: mine · fan · lash · march · mate · board · cue · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cue — a signal
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. march — the month
  12. board — a committee
  13. mate — to breed
  14. board — to get on
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bore — to drill
  24. march — music

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