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: board · staff · court · lash · ball · rule · deal · fan

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — employees
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ball — a dance
  6. board — to get on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. board — a committee
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — to handle
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rule — government
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. court — of law
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — for sport
  24. staff — employees

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