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: cue · rush · board · racket · degree · hide · wave · land

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — from a university
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cue — for pool
  7. degree — an amount
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. degree — temperature
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — a signal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rush — hurry
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cue — a hint
  23. land — a country
  24. rush — to hurry

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