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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — electricity
  7. board — to get on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wake — a trail
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — in control
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. board — a committee
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. board — a flat piece

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