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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — a thing
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. board — to get on
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — a weight
  12. foot — a measure
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  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