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: fan · present · rash · board · coach · degree · face · pitcher

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — a series
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. face — part of the head
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — from a university
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — the time now
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. face — to point toward
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — to confront
  19. rash — hasty
  20. present — a gift
  21. degree — an amount
  22. present — there
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fan — to cool the air

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