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 · capital · drill · row · roll · pop · racket · board

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. drill — army training
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — a practice
  5. roll — a cake
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pop — music
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. board — a committee
  14. drill — the tool
  15. roll — a list
  16. capital — money
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. board — to get on

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