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: cold · charge · board · rash · fork · lean · can · wake

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — in control
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. charge — electricity
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. charge — a price
  9. rash — a series
  10. can — a tin
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — a tin
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cold — an illness
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. lean — thin
  24. cold — not warm

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