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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — happy
  4. board — a committee
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. content — the amount
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. key — in music
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — a break
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. court — for sport
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — the most important part
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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