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 120 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 · row · fan · racket · rash · hide · degree · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. degree — an amount
  3. cue — a hint
  4. degree — from a university
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a committee
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rash — a series
  13. rash — hasty
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — for pool
  19. row — a line
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — to get on
  24. hide — to keep secret

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